BY ZOE COLVILE CONCERNED residents from the Norreys estate have urged police to send out a strong message to problem families by issuing anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) in a bid to reduce crime.

A public meeting held at Keep Hatch Infant School last week revealed residents' fears with lack of progress and the number of police patrolling at night topping the list of worries.

However, PC Phil Mullins, area beat officer, said: "Progress is being made. Every incident reported to the police in the past months has been logged and we are now presenting a case which will be going to court."

But residents were still unsatisfied, with one saying: "We all know who the problem families are, so why can't we get rid of them?

"It has worked in other places in the country and it would send out a strong message to problem families."

PC Mullins said such orders had a "limited effect," adding:

"If you just get rid of the people that are causing the problem I guarantee more of their type would come in their place."

One angry resident blamed the district council for letting the troublemakers move in in the first place, and claimed families were not being vetted properly.

But PC Mullins was keen to stress the police needed help from the community in the fight against crime.

He said: "The main problem is boredom for youths.

"The most important thing is to report each incident otherwise nothing will get done."

Residents also claimed troublemakers were getting off lightly and there were too few police patrolling the area on foot.

PC Mullins explained: "In the last few years there have been more uniformed police on the streets.

"At nine and 10 o'clock at night you should find police on patrol in the area."

In answer to the point about troublemakers getting off lightly, he added: "The number of times I have arrested offenders and they do not get remanded frustrates me as much as anyone.

"If I could press a button and solve the problem I would.

"It comes down to money and how many prisons we have in this country and there are simply not enough.

"It is a national problem and it is up to you [the residents] to write in and shout about the problems and maybe something will get done."

After the meeting Sgt Dave Miller explained that ASBOs cannot be directly issued by the police.

They must be applied for through the courts.

According to the Blackstones Police Manual general police duties, an application for an ASBO may be made in respect of the behaviour of any person aged 10 or over. Breach of an order can result in a sentence of imprisonment of five years.